Best Digital P & S for wife?

[Bill58]

What would be the best P & S for my wife? She uses our Fuji F30 and enjoys it, but maybe there's something else out there better since it's somewhat dated now. Hint--it has to be small and light.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[gilpen123]

I got a Canon SD220 for my wife and she loves it. Small and compact and lens FL starts at 24 mm. Oh and btw, takes good pictures at base ISO and Auto Mode.

 

[majid]

I gave my Fuji F31fd to my wife when I upgraded to a Leica X1. You won't find anything equivalent in the same size. The Canon S95 and Olympus XZ-1 match the Fuji in high-ISO performance, but are slightly bulkier. Smaller cameras (including newer Fujis) are typical PS dreck, with horrible noise levels.

 

[Colin Corneau]

Love the Panasonic Lumix LX-3 (now updated to the LX-5)...very tiny, easy to use but also updateable for shooters who know more.
Leica f/2.0 lens! Also shoots hi-def video and it's all very easy to use.

 

[peterm1]

Love the Panasonic Lumix LX-3 (now updated to the LX-5)...very tiny, easy to use but also updateable for shooters who know more.
Leica f/2.0 lens! Also shoots hi-def video and it's all very easy to use.

I second that emotion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI_0tQdEA5k

 

[Rogier]

Get her an iPhone 4 !

 

[kuzano]

I moved back....

I moved back....

I had a Fuji e550 and donated it to an orphanage to move on to other later "more enhanced" P&S camera's. Probably burned through a good half dozen, supposedly more advanced than my e550. I tend toward Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and such.

So guess what I am shooting for a small (not so) camera presently. A Fuji e550. Bought two for about $50-60 each.

The f30 was noted to be a much better camera than the e550 for low light.

Frankly, I don't think you are going to find anything to top the f30 for what it's noted for. If you do replace it, don't give it away cheap. Check out what they are selling for on eBay.

I echo Majid on the newer Fuji PS cameras... not good. I also restrict my negative comments to small PS cameras in general. There are some great camera in the super zoom categories-particularly Fuji.

However in pure PS cameras under $350.... consider keeping the F30.

 

[shootodog]

Canon S95?

DP2?

 

[39per1]

...I took a Canon S90 for my wife, sold 100 Euros less due to S95 release....

 

[lynnb]

If you want the same size, the Canon S95 is comparable, I'm not sure about the Oly XZ-1's size. I have an F10 and an LX-3: the F10 (and F20, F31) are more pocketable than the LX-3 and are less fiddly for inexperienced users, and the high ISO is still very good for a digicam.
So I'd be tempted to keep the F31 until the release of the iPhone 5, which looks like shipping with a Sony 8Mp sensor - more than enough res for family snapshots, and probably a good enough digicam substitute unless you want shallow dof - which the LX-3 and XZ-1 can deliver with their larger sensors and faster lenses.

 

[jsrockit]

I'd say the best in class are:

Olympus XZ-1
Ricoh GRD III
Panasonic LX5 (or LX3)
Leica D-lux 5 (or 4)
Canon S95 (or S90)

 

[Peter S]

I would say Canon S90 or S95. My wife loves mine and uses it in automatic mode and I enjoy it in manual mode with the front ring configured to set aperture and the back ring to set shutterspeed. Excellent ergonomics and optical quality for such a small pocketable package.

 

[NLewis]

Keep the F30 until she starts to complain.

6mp is fine for about anything you are likely to shoot with a PS.

 

[rondo]

Looking forward to the first "what is the best camera for my husband?" thread...

 

[kkdanamatt]

Lx-5

Lx-5

The Lumix LX-5 recently dropped in price. Great Leica f/2.0 lens and Hi-Def video. Also, it takes a standard neckstrap, not just one of those dinky hand straps. Availble in all-white for the fashionable fotog.

 

[Sparrow]

Looking forward to the first "what is the best camera for my husband?" thread...

... that was my thinking too 😀

 

[Vics]

Love the Panasonic Lumix LX-3 (now updated to the LX-5)...very tiny, easy to use but also updateable for shooters who know more.
Leica f/2.0 lens! Also shoots hi-def video and it's all very easy to use.

Plus one. I bought one for my daughter, who said she wanted something small enough to put on her pocket. The photos she makes with that little thing are just gorgeous!

 

[jmooney]

Looking forward to the first "what is the best camera for my husband?" thread...

If we're not careful this could degrade till we have a "what's the best p&s for YOUR MOM" thread...



😀

 

[__--]

If we're not careful this could degrade till we have a "what's the best p&s for YOUR MOM" thread...

It's not only that the original question sounds sexist — it most likely was not indended to be — it's that the general question could be better formulated by stating what the F30 is not giving her in terms of what she may want. Just asking whether there is anything better out there invites people to suggest the cameras that they have or like themselves, which may not be of much help.

—Mitch/Pak Nam Pran
Around Chiang Mai

 

[bensyverson]

Get her a Micro Four Thirds camera with the Panasonic 20/1.7.

After all, you have to look at the pictures too.